Games series
by whomii2
Summary: Series of one-shot stories around the theme of games
1. Chapter 1 Fun and Games

Finch was evil.

Really, John didn't know why it had taken him so long to come to this realization. His past should have certainly given him plenty of expertise in recognizing evil when confronted with it. And Harold was proving to be evil with a capital E.

There had been quite a nasty fallout when the "assets" had finally learned of each others involvement in their cases. They had been outraged and out for blood-John's blood. Finch, sitting smugly in a cloud of unspoken "I told you so" had dryly suggested a series of team building exercises to sooth their ruffled feathers and rebuild a sense of camaraderie. (John really should have suspected some sort of retaliation over his snooping into Finch's personal life, but unfortunately he hadn't had his epiphany over Finch's evilness yet.)

And Finch was apparently also a sadist. A sadist with strange mental powers of persuasion. How else could John explain Finch's ability to con Carter, Fusco, and himself into a game of Twister? The mind boggled. And how this was supposed to promote harmony and group unity John didn't know. The only person's mood being improved by the activity was Finch, who took great delight in spinning and calling out each new torturous position.

Although this game might not have been so bad if it wasn't Fusco's ass in John's face….


	2. Chapter 2 Trust Exercise

Fusco closed his eyes, spread his arms, and fell backward in this latest of their team building "exercises".

Expecting to be caught, he instead fell on his still sore ass.

Carter snorted, while Reese met Finch's disapproving scowl with a raised eyebrow.

Really John thought, this was a much more useful lesson…


	3. Chapter 3 Deductive Reasoning

At first the three of them had scoffed at Finch's suggestion of their latest exercise to sharpen their deductive reasoning. Surely their real world experience would make such a simple game superfluous. Their attitude had changed as Finch, the "civilian" of the group, bested them time after time. The mood of the 3 now was positively grim as they each grit their teeth and vowed to best Finch at their own game.

As Finch revealed he had won yet another round, John found himself thinking "Harold Finch, in the library, with a lead pipe." And he didn't think he was alone in that thought.

This exercise might be Finch's greatest success in unifying the 3 of them yet…


	4. Chapter 4 Cards

John was happy when Finch first suggested playing cards. It seemed safer (and less embarrassing) than some of their more recent exercises. The problem involved finding something they could all play. When Finch had suggested poker, Fusco had suggested the strip version with a leer at Carter, but had shrunk back in his seat at the death glares sent his way by the other 3. Carter wasn't familiar with Canasta, and Lionel didn't know how to play bridge. So Finch had disdainfully settled on a game he knew they were all familiar with. As Finch smugly told Reese to "Go Fish," John was glad they weren't playing for money. He wondered if gambling had played a role in the accumulation of Finch's fortune…


	5. Chapter 5 No Game

Reese settled at the desk in his room and grimly started to fill out his List Of Games Never To Challenge Finch At On Pain Of Abject Humiliation:

SCRABBLE

CHESS (no surprises with those 2, although John had hoped to do a bit better on the chess)

TWISTER (although Finch hadn't really played that one, the bastard. John just wanted to wipe that whole horrific experience from his memory)

CLUE (John's CIA training really let him down on this one)

GO FISH (it was embarrassing enough to have even played the game, let alone to have lost. A lot)

TRIVIAL PURSUIT (who would have thought Finch would be so up to date on Pop Culture? John was going to have to bone up on recent trends or risk loosing his status as the "cool" guy in their foursome. Even Carter and Fusco were mocking him toward the end of the game)

GUITAR HERO (was it possible to hack a video game? Reese wouldn't put it past Finch. How else to explain his unprecedented win)

After a moments reflection he added another game:

LIFE (although they had beaten Carter and Fusco, John never wanted to be in a position again where he would be having Finch's babies)


	6. Chapter 6 Online Games

Reese unlocked the door to his current rooms and crossed over to his laptop, intent on making the most of his recent findings during the current downtime between numbers. A little subtle snooping on the computers in the library had given John a good idea of how Finch would be spending his own downtime. And really, wasn't it just like Finch to get his social interaction as an anonymous player on an online game? Reese logged onto World of Spyquest and scanned the list of players, easily pegging "Robin" as Harold's alias. He was just so predictable! A little review of the game status showed "Robin" was a dominant player. Although Reese figured Harold would have settled for nothing less than excellence in anything computer related, bless his little geeky heart. The only other player who came close was an obvious James Bond fan named "M". Well, time to give them a taste of what a real spy could do….

20 minutes later Reese was scowling at the screen, having been terminated with extreme prejudice. M had certainly gone after him with a vengeance! He could almost hear Harold's dry snaky voice in Robin's message of "better luck next time". M hadn't even deigned to speak with him after his loss, sending him instead a derisive ":-P". This meant war….

Fusco finished the process of creating his character and wondered about the significance of this "World of Spyquest" Reese had mentioned. Fusco had enough of this sneaky covert cloak-and-dagger stuff in his real life now to not want to waste his free time on it. And apparently his character wasn't having any better luck than himself, as "Liono" was shot twice and blown up once in the past hour. He would have to get his kid to give him some pointers if he wanted to last long enough to continue playing. Still, he had done better than that other player, "Foxy," who had been killed rather dramatically shortly after logging in. Fusco felt he was merely collateral damage in the take down. But maybe this gaming wouldn't be a total waste if he could interest "Foxy" in a little private chat and one-on-one interaction…

Carter finished setting the table and went to start pouring the milk. With her job and her more recent extracurricular activities she hadn't had much time for her personal life. That had changed when her mother issued a command for her and Taylor to sit down to a family dinner this Sunday. Although Carter had long since moved out and started her own family, she couldn't deny she still loved her mother's home cooked meals. And a little family togetherness might be just what she needed to unwind. That is if she could pry Taylor away from that damn computer game that had him enthralled. She had called him 3 times already, and was getting ready for a fourth call when her Momma beat her to it. She was a bit irked when Taylor responded right away, but had to admit it was no less than she had done when she was the one being called.

Carter idly speculated that her Momma could probably even reign in her new "partner." Momma wouldn't put up with any of his crap! She'd box his ears and maybe there would be less paperwork generated for unexpected kneecappings. Then Carter had a horrible vision of Burdette and Momma bonding over tea and stories of misbehaving children. Their lives wouldn't be worth living if those two superpowers allied!


	7. Chapter 7 Confrontation

It was a classic confrontation between logic (Finch) and intuition (Reese). While Finch moved methodically through a pattern to cover the maximum possibilities with least effort, Reese tried to put himself in Finch's head and anticipate his moves. Or maybe do the opposite. Reese would have to admit he wasn't having much luck anticipating Finch. Even after all this time the man could still surprise him. As yet another of his ships was sunk, Reese had the unpleasant feeling that even if their roles were reversed, Finch would do much better at anticipating John.

[Game=Battleship]


	8. Chapter 8 More Games

[group of short snap-shots]

John figured he might just win this one. Sure, Finch was used to dealing with delicate electronics. But John had been trained in bomb disposal and that certainly took a steady hand he thought as he prepared to remove the funny bone

(Operation)

XXXXX

This was as good a way as any to let off some steam. They certainly couldn't go around punching each other in the face in real life. With that John executed a right-left combination followed by an uppercut that knocked the head off of Fusco's robot

(Rock 'em Sock 'em Robot)

XXXXX

"Yahtzee" Finch exclaimed once again. The others groaned and figured this game was pretty much over. They should have learned their lesson and never bet on the outcome.

(Yahtzee)

XXXXX

By mutual agreement they stopped playing Hot Potato after the first try. It was too evocative of dealing with live grenades.

(Hot Potato)

XXXXX

Fusco squirmed with embarrassment. Reese and Finch looked calm and collected (and slightly bored) but Fusco figured they were just as uncomfortable as he was, just hiding it better the bastards. Carter was smirking at them all. Even though she was behind, Fusco figured she had really won when she bullied them into playing Candyland.

(Candyland)

XXXXX

Finally they had found an activity they could all enjoy. Finch had obtained all the supplies and taken over the organization, printing out grid after grid from his laptop. He took charge of the portion on the desk and end tables, while Reese took care of the ramps and loops and Fusco and Carter worked on the larger setup on the floor. Finally finished, they huddled companionably in the doorway, watching the Hot Wheels speed around the track.

(Hot Wheels)


	9. Chapter 9 Classical

The tension built as Reese and Finch locked their gazes in a stare, neither wanting to give anything away. Reese quickly visualized possible scenarios for the impending confrontation, trying to factor in personal preferences, past history, and possible moves and countermoves. Both were trying to anticipate the others move, trying to determine which option would lead to victory. Finally, Reese made his choice and went with it.

"Rock breaks scissors Mr. Reese"

Damn! He had been sure that Finch was going to go with paper again! Now John would have to listen to the classical station for the rest of the afternoon or be forced to leave the library (privately, John suspected that Harold's fondness for that station lay in how much it bugged Reese). John would get an ipod so he could drown out the noise, if he wasn't paranoid enough to think that Finch could somehow hack into it, and who knew what Harold's fertile and devious imagination could lead him to do after that…

[game=rock, paper, scissors]


	10. Chapter 10 Out of the Gutter

Reese had been a bit surprised when Fusco had requested some of the expense money. But he was willing to wait and see what the detective did with it. He wouldn't have expected the equipment Lionel brought into their makeshift recreation room though. And Reese certainly wouldn't have expected Fusco to try and rope Finch into using it. But as Fusco patiently explained and allowed Finch to become familiar with the various functions, Reese began to get the idea. Finch had looked a little wistful last week when a discussion between Fusco and Carter about their kids' sports activities had expanded to a discussion of sports in general. Fusco encouraged Finch through his first frame of wii bowling, the both of them breaking into broad smiles when Finch managed to make a spare. Reese mused that Fusco had once again surprised him with unexpected depths and sensitivity.


	11. Chapter 11 Stake out

The stake out in the van was rather monotonous. Trying to relieve his boredom, John suggested they play a game. Finch gave him a look, but John pressed on with some teasing suggestions:

"Twenty questions"

"No"

"Truth or dare"

"No. How about I spy?"

"Really? I don't think we have the time to cover that."


	12. Chapter 12 Double Trouble

John blamed it all on the beer. They had retired to a back table at a nearby bar following the events leading to the conclusion of their latest number. Finch had offered to pay for a round or two as his driver would be available to take them all home. They had started some idle small talk to help unwind. The topic had turned to the Olympics, and Carter had commented that some events should be combined rather than separated by gender. John had made the mistake of implying that men would have an unfair advantage in any sport requiring even mild physical exertion. Finch and Fusco immediately shifted away from John as Carter said coolly "Oh really?"

Unwilling to back down, John nodded.

"So you think you could beat me in any contest involving physical activity?"

That wasn't quite what he had meant, but having dug his hole he went ahead and jumped in with both feet. "Uh, yes?"

Smiling an evil smile, she replied "Let's see about that."

Finch paid for their drinks and they left to pile into the limo. After obtaining the necessary "equipment" they stopped at an appropriate venue for the challenge - an empty parking lot. With Finch and Fusco acting as the turners, Carter and Reese commenced a heated competition of double-dutch jump rope, both jumping at the same time. Reese blamed the beer for his rather embarrassingly short run. Carter continued on, showing off some rather fancy footwork to further John's humiliation. She only faltered when Finch, no doubt under the influence of his own beers, broke out in a rather raptastic skipping rhyme.


	13. Chapter 13 Bingo

They were pretty sure the elderly woman who was their latest number would be a victim rather than a perpetrator. However it was difficult to see where a possible threat might come from. She lived modestly on her pension. She rarely left her home, and the greatest source of excitement in her life seemed to be from her daily soaps (with which Finch and Reese had become all too familiar in the course of their otherwise tedious surveillance of the Number). When they heard her making plans to go out to a charity event at her church they decided that this would most likely be the time when something might happen.

Unfortunately the event was Ladies Bingo Night – and Carter was away with Taylor. Zoe was also unavailable. They didn't think monitoring the situation from a distance was wise, as it might take them too long to respond to a threat, especially with so many other innocents who could be collateral damage. Finch volunteered to be their eyes inside, but Reese was reluctant to send him in alone. He would not be very effective if violence broke out, and the problem of response time remained. Reese decided that he would have to go undercover as well, to act if necessary and to serve as another pair of eyes to look out for anything suspicious in the crowded Bingo room. And if Reese was going in, so was Fusco.

Finch took on the task of obtaining the elements of their undercover disguises, as Fusco was tied up with police work and Reese wanted to stay watching the number on the slim chance that they were wrong about when the anticipated attack might occur. Reese figured Finch must have visited some thrift shops as their outfits had a comfy, careworn appearance that made them seem less costume-y than crisp new store-bought clothes.

Finch was in a neatly tailored pink suit, complete with silk scarf tied in bow and a demure string of pearls. With his grey wig and the way he sat rigidly yet demurely in his chair, John thought he looked rather like the church lady from Saturday Night Live. John was a bit surprised at the beige compression stockings Finch had put on before slipping into his orthopedic shoes. Harold dryly commented that he had neither the inclination nor the flexibility to shave his legs, and the stockings provided adequate camouflage.

Reese had done some shaving of his own, though only the usual facial hair. Stubble might be a bit hard to explain. Harold had obtained an extra-large velour track suit for John's outfit. The pants were baggy enough for comfort but unfortunately not long. A pair of brown Ugg boots concealed the fact that the pants ended a few inches above John's ankles. The baggy jacket helped conceal Reese's gun in his shoulder holster. John hoped the room where they would play bingo wouldn't be too hot, as unzipping the jacket was not an option. Not only would the shoulder holster be a problem, but John had decided to supplement the padded bra Finch had given him by stuffing in a few grenades. The bra worked surprisingly well as a grenade hammock, but to allow easy access if they became necessary he was wearing it on top of his undershirt. He definitely didn't want anyone catching a glimpse of his explosive undergarment. To round out his disguise Finch had gotten him a long brown wig. The bangs and long hair, as well as a pair of large round tortoise-shell glasses with gold accents helped to conceal John's face.

Fusco didn't have a wig. Instead he had a number of velcro rollers stuck throughout his curly hair, and covered over with a large silk scarf. He had a pair of catseye shaped glasses with rhinestones on the pointed edges. But the real distraction was the long floral mumu dress he was wearing, its colors so bright they hurt the eyes.

After checking out each other's disguises to ensure that they were sufficient (and an obligatory round of teasing comments between Reese and Fusco) they set off for the church. Once they purchased their cards, they settled down to keep an eye on their Number and the surrounding room in anticipation. While Fusco and Reese had only one card each, Finch had bought several. Harold settled in with his cards spread out in front of him, before removing his phone and an official Bingo marker from his voluminous purse. John might have worried about Harold not paying enough attention to the Number if he didn't know the man was such an accomplished multi-tasker.

The time passed slowly, Finch having a Bingo and winning a gift basket of toiletries being the only excitement. Until late into the evening it finally happened-a trio of masked perpetrator's burst into the room, demanding the money and the prizes. Two of the perpetrators weren't much of a threat as they were using toy guns. They looked real enough to people who weren't used to firearms, but Reese and Fusco weren't fooled. The third robber had a real weapon, although he clearly wasn't too familiar with its use. Clued in to the real threat by Reese's commentary over the ear wig, Finch created a distraction by screeching and tossing his gift basket into the air. With all eyes drawn to the basket, Reese tackled the armed perpetrator while Fusco pulled his gun on the other two, who quickly surrendered.

It was only during interrogation later that they found out the source of the threat to their Number. The gunman was her estranged nephew. He was an addict with a history of petty crime to support his addiction. As her only living relative, he had wanted to inherit her meagre savings as well as her insurance. But with his history he would have been a prime suspect if she were found murdered. He knew of her habit of attending the church Bingo nights, and had decided that if she were killed during a robbery he could avoid suspicion when he collected his inheritance. He had talked two fellow addicts into joining him, but had not shared with them his plan to kill his great aunt and perhaps a few other players as a way of covering his tracks.

Fusco just shook his head when he shared the details with them later. Definitely one of the stupider criminals he had dealt with this month.


End file.
